


Skin Deep

by lilolilyrae



Series: The 666 Words Ineffable Husbands Series [23]
Category: Good Omens (TV)
Genre: Aziraphale Loves Crowley (Good Omens), Crowley Loves Aziraphale (Good Omens), Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, Hurt/Comfort, Other, Shedding, Snake!Crowley (Good Omens)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-21
Updated: 2019-07-21
Packaged: 2020-06-29 18:19:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 666
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19835899
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lilolilyrae/pseuds/lilolilyrae
Summary: Aziraphale helps Crowley shed his skin.





	Skin Deep

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Lindariddle](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lindariddle/gifts).



> 2019-07-17  
>  ~~Ugh this is 1k long, I'll have to cut it in 2 parts...~~ Oh well now it's too short. Working on it.
> 
> Prompt fill for _**[lindariddle](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lindariddle/pseuds/Lindariddle)** : Could Aziraphale help him shed his skin?_
> 
> Hope you like this!

During the next days, Crowley is getting more and more restless.

He keeps moving around, slithering from one room to the next, rubbing himself along doorframes and wall, laying down first under the heatlamp Aziraphale miracled for him, slithering over the weird mossy stones the angel probably got from the nearest petstore (" _I'm ssstill a demon, angel! Not your pet sssnake! But thhhanks_."), moving back to the plants, then cuddling up with Aziraphale, but as soon as he _thinks_ he might finally get comfortable, he feels the urge to move again. It's like an itch he can't scratch...

At first, he thinks maybe it's because he didn't move much in the days prior and didn't use his powers either, so he has to use up all of his pent-up energy. He tries not to go on Aziraphale's nerves too much and decides not to slither back into his arms while the angel is reading, knowing he'll only move away again before the angel can even finish a page. In the evening, however, as he's getting drowsy, Aziraphale scoops him up and let's him sleep on his chest. Crowley feels grateful. 

When he wakes up the next morning, he suddenly knows that what he had metaphorically thought of an itch he can't scratch is an _actual_ itch, in fact it itches like _crazy_ , and his skin feels weird...

He opens his eyes to look down on himself and assess the damage when- 

_"Whatthhhhefffuck_?"

He can't see properly! Everything is blurry, like a fog laying on top of his eyes! And what he does see is parts of his skin coming loose- is this it then? He's been a snake for too long and can't change back and now thus will be his demise?!

He's hectically turning his head around, trying to figure out what is _wrong_ , hoping that if he'll turn his head _just so_ his eyesight will come back- 

Then he feels a hand on his scales, calming strokes bringing him out of his panic.

Aziraphale, woken by his distress, is hunched over him. "Crowley, you are shedding! Has this ever happened before?"

"Doesssss it look like it'ss happened before?!" Crowley asks, still a little freaked out, but less so now that Aziraphale is there providing a logical explanation. "How do you know this, anyway?"

"Uh, well, I might have read up about snake behavior when I was improving your, um, habitat and-"

"Habitat?! I'm not sssome pet! Ugh, thiss itchesss like hell, fuck, angel, help me! I can't see what I'm doing anyway!"

Gently lifting the snake-demon up, Aziraphale walks into the bathroom. Crowley immediately goes limp in his arms, all fight draining from him. He feels tired, exhausted, sad and frustrated with his body, everything even more _wrong_ than before. 

"I read that it helps snakes to have a successful shedding cycle when they are in a moist environment" Aziraphale explains, setting Crowley down on the cupboard next to the bathtub and letting water into the tub. "I think we can probably convert your plant room into something more tropical, but for now you might want to soak in the tub?"

"Moisssst" Crowley hisses, disdainfully. "Sssoak. Ngk." he doesn't even have it in himself to complain much about the angel's language, the thought of a warm bath bringing a stop to all the itching is too good. "Ughh. Alrighht, anggel- hey, I can get in by myssself!" 

Aziraphale, who had bent down to once again pick him up, moves his hands away, chuckling softly, and presses a kiss to his head. "Alright, but know that you don't have to. I'm here if you need anything." 

Crowley immediately feels bad about snapping and flicks his tongue at Aziraphale's hands before the other can retreat. When Aziraphale turns back around, he curls around his arms, letting the angel carry him over into the warm water.

"Uhhhhh" Yes, this does feel a lot better already... Only one thing missing, really. 

"Read to me, angel?" 

Aziraphale happily complies.

**Author's Note:**

> Next fic is directly continuing this storyline, so do continue reading! :)  
> 
> 
> A few of my headcanons for this ship you can use as inspiration to prompt me things:
> 
> Crowley:  
> \- used to be Archangel Raphael  
> \- is good with kids  
> \- is genderqueer (alright none of the angels or demons confirm to human gender rules, but I think eg Aziraphale just doesn't care whereas Crowley actively expresses his gender)  
> \- was friends with Freddie Mercury 
> 
> Aziraphale:  
> \- Has no idea how modern money works, his miracles would've probably collapsed the economy by now if Crowley didn't intervene  
> \- Looks Like A Cinnamon Roll But Could Kill You  
> \- Knew Oscar Wilde (Crowley is jealous) (Of Wilde, not of Zira)


End file.
